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Volume 4 Issue 5

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Page 46 | Abby's Magazine - www.AbbysMag.com According to the press release: "Dr. Jonathan Samet (University of Southern California, USA), overall Chairman of the Working Group, indicated, "the evidence, while s ll accumula ng, is strong enough to support a conclusion and the 2B classifica on. The conclusion means that there could be some risk, and therefore we need to keep a close watch for a link between cell phones and cancer risk." "Given the poten al consequences for public health of this classifica on and findings," said IARC Director Christopher Wild, "it is important that addi onal research be conducted into the long-term, heavy use of mobile phones. Pending the availability of such informa on, it is important to take pragma c measures to reduce exposure such as hands-free devices or tex ng." Children are at Greatest Risk— Including While in Utero Sadly, children and teens are at greatest risk — both for paro d gland tumors and brain tumors — as their thinner skull bones allow for greater penetra on of cell phone radia on. The radia on can enter all the way into their midbrain, where tumors are more deadly. In addi on, children's cells reproduce more quickly, so they're more suscep ble to aggressive cell growth. Children also face a far greater life me exposure. According to Professor Lennart Hardell of Sweden, those who begin using cell phones heavily as teenagers have 4 to 5 mes more brain cancer as young adults! Pregnant women would also be wise to avoid cell phones as much as possible. In 2008, researchers analyzed data from nearly 13,000 children and found that exposure to cell phones while in the womb, and also during childhood, were linked to behavioral difficul es. Using handsets just two or three mes a day during pregnancy was enough to raise the risk of their babies developing hyperac vity and difficul es with conduct, emo ons, and rela onships by the me they reached school age — and the risk became even greater if the children also used the phones themselves before the age of seven. Overall, the study revealed that mothers who used mobile phones were 54 percent more likely to have children with behavioral problems. Later on, when the children began using cell phones themselves, they were: • 80 percent more likely to suffer from behavioral difficul es • 25 percent more at risk from emo onal problems • 34 percent more likely to suffer from difficul es rela ng to their peers • 35 percent more likely to be hyperac ve • 49 percent more prone to problems with conduct Top Tips for Cell Phone Safety It's worth remembering that the telecommunica on industry is much larger than the medical industrial complex, and they have far more influence than the drug companies. They're also mirroring many of the same tac cs as the tobacco industry to peddle their wares. This includes a emp ng to discredit researchers who publish unfavorable cell phone studies. The results of any study can be accurately predicted by looking at its sponsorship. According to a review by Dr. Lai in 2008, the probability that a study will find "no effect" is two to three mes higher in industry-funded studies, while independently funded studies into the health effects of mobile technology are TWICE as likely to find a posi ve result. So please, be aware that there is already robust scien fic evidence that cell phones and other wireless devices pose significant health risks to all of us—especially to children and pregnant women. So while such findings are not being widely publicized as of yet, it makes sense to take ac on now to protect yourself and your children. You can help to minimize your exposure to electromagne c radia on from cell phones and other wireless devices by heeding the following advice: • Children Should Always Avoid Using Cell Phones: Barring a life-threatening emergency, children should not use a cell phone, or a wireless device of any type. • Reduce Your Cell Phone Use: Turn your cell phone off more o en. Reserve it for emergencies or important ma ers. As long as your cell phone is on, it emits radia on intermi ently, even when you are not actually making a call. If you're pregnant, avoiding or reducing your cell phone use may be especially important.

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